Seeking answers on West Bridgewater firm's abrupt closing

The town's congressional delegation wants answers from SWB New England after the United Drive kosher and ethnic foods distributor closed suddenly earlier this month and bounced 140 employees.

Mike Melanson

The town's congressional delegation wants answers from SWB New England after the United Drive kosher and ethnic foods distributor closed suddenly earlier this month and bounced 140 employees.

U.S. senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy and U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch want SWB to explain, in writing, why the company failed to notify the workers of the impending closing and why it failed to comply with the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act, according to Brigid O'Rourke, a Kerry spokeswoman.

In a letter to Charles Ward, listed as SWB president by the secretary of state's Corporations Division, Kerry, Kennedy and Lynch said they are concerned that SWB did not furnish 60 days advance written notice before closing the plant as required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

“As you can imagine, SWB New England's employees were stunned by the news that they would lose their jobs. In addition, the lack of advance notice has made it more difficult for workers to find new jobs and for state labor officials to assist the workers,” the letter, dated Monday, stated.

They want SWB to cooperate with federal and state labor officials in efforts to contact the former employees and assist them in finding new jobs, filing applications for unemployment benefits and to get them all the benefits due them under the law, including compensation under the WARN Act.

The congressmen are requesting Ward “provide our offices and these workers with a written explanation why the company failed to notify the workers in writing of the impending closing,” the letter reads.

Ward did not immediately return a phone call to his home seeking comment. A company official identified as the interim adviser for closing the business did not immediately return a phone call to an SWB business extension.

“These employees weren't even given any time to start looking for new jobs. They've been left out in the cold,” said Kerry, in a prepared statement. “I strongly urge CEO Charles Ward to fully cooperate with federal and local officials so that we can make sure that all of his former employees receive the fair treatment they are entitled to under the law.”

Kennedy said he hopes SWB New England will meet its obligations and do everything to help former employees.

“Finding a good job in this economy can be very difficult. That's why companies need to give the advance notice required under the law. When they don't, workers pay the price,” he said, in a prepared statement.

Citing his experience working at the General Motors Plant in Framingham when it closed and at the General Dynamics Shipyard in Quincy when it closed, Lynch said he knows the devastating impact that a closing like SWB's can have on workers and their families.

“We are asking if these workers were denied their basic rights to advance notification and transitional assistance, and we will make certain that the safety net is in place for these men and women during this extraordinarily difficult time,” he said, in a prepared statement.

According to SWB's Web site, the wholesale distributor has been in business since 1922, is the top kosher distributor in New England, and distributes to supermarket chains, mom-and-pop stores and institutional facilities.